Tea Swapping DANGERS??

Has anyone ever been apprehensive about accepting tea from “strangers”? I’m not worried at all, but recently my boyfriend just lost his MIND when I told him I was doing a swap (well a one way swap Haha) even though I told him these are established people with profiles and months-years of posts on a tea forum, not to mention other websites, profiles, etc. He still insists that a psychopath would do all that with months if not years of planning JUST to poison some tea for kicks. I stewed for an entire day about it. I didn’t even bother to tell him my mom has had friends for 10+ years from a message board and my brother met his girlfriend on a message board. He insists he’s just worried about my safety. I think he’s out of line. Any comments??

Hmmm. I have swapped several times and I am still kicking……. And I think your biggest risk is probably not receiving the other person’s end of the deal, so just look at it more as an act of kindness with the possibility of benefits. I have also found the people in this community to be a breath of fresh air in restoring one’s faith in humanity.

I do see where he is coming from, but I would think a psychopath wants to see and ‘live’ the results of their efforts, so it is unlikely that poisoned tea sent to a relatively unknown person would be worth the effort…… If you are famous, though, watch out! ;) (Actually, I have no idea….it just makes sense….. you might have to ask why he is so sure he knows what a psychopath would do…..)

I think we have just been watching one too many crime shows Haha. By the same standards, someone could poison the fishing hooks he buys and just hope he accidentally pokes himself one day Haha. No I know he just cares about me but I never would consider poisoned tea! Seems pointless really.

In all seriousness, it’s like halloween…. I mean someone COULD do that, but why would someone? I think the safest bet is to ONLY accept teas from someone that has made a name for themself here on steepster.

Haha where were you during my argument? I totally could have used that! Though he probably would have mentioned razorblades in candybars or something Haha. And I did trade with sunny, so I’m glad she’s reputable ;)

As a victim of a razor-blade hidden in a candy bar once, maybe I should be more on guard…and more suspicious. But lightning doesn’t strike twice, eh? (The razor-blade incident happened when I was little. This psychopath/child molester put them in Milky Ways and several of us got hurt. Back then I loved splitting up my Milky Way bars into several pieces so I noticed the metallic thing and asked Mom, “What’s that?” She was horrified, to say the least! Long story short, that guy went to prison and was killed there.)

Keen, sorry to hear that! I was never afraid of such things when I was a kid & went trick-or-treating. Where I grew up everyone knew everyone & there was never an issue of someone looking to hurt kids. While I’m not blind to it, I was not afraid of it happening to me. And luckily my parents always checked our candy before we were allowed to eat any of it. I think mostly my mom was throwing out a lot or hiding it for herself?

Madeline, glad you got it! Enjoy!

As for swapping, I’m still into it! Looking forward to sharing & receiving with the wonderful people here!

I’ve swapped a bunch of times! and they’ve all turned out happily ever after for me :)
If someone really wanted to poison me, there are better, more entertaining ways I think. and besides, does your boyfriend extend this same logic to buying teas in general? one could say the same about someone simply working in a tea shop, or any kind of food service place. Scary yes, but I need to eat, and I will never give up tea…

I have only been on this site since the 4th and everyone that I have interacted with has been really cool. I’m really trusting though and like to think everyone has good in them. I’m also a former Paratrooper and Air Force SWAT instructor and have seen the worst.

I don’t really see a psyco coming on steepster to send out potentially poisonous tea. It just doesn’t fit the profile. Yes, anything is possible but from what I have learned in my experiences and training it would be slim to none that this would happen.

I get where he’s coming from. But I loved all the swaps I took part in, introduced me to a word of teas!!! I hope the other end enjoyed the ones I sent. I am more worried when I send the teas they won’t make it. Unmarked green stuff in a bag can appear suspicious.

It must be a guy thing; my husband’s the same way. I will admit that one swap I did was a bit…shady. The tea was old and smelled kinda funny. I ended up just tossing it, as I didn’t want to swap it to someone else and have them think I was the culprit. I like the tea swaps conducted throughout the year like the Valentine’s Day swap, and Easter swap, which tends to offer newer teas – sealed, from companies – over people’s leftovers.

My husband and I met online as well. We started our long distance relationship early 2000, met in person late 2000 and have been together ever since. He is the only father my oldest daughter has ever really known, and we also have another daughter together. He is not only my husband but my best friend.

Personally, I think our relationship is stronger because we did meet first online. You can’t just fall into a relationship that way, you really have to work at it to make it work. I don’t understand the stigma that comes with being in an online relationship or one that started online.

Technically, my boyfriend and I met online (Facebook) though we had seen each other in person first (Basically I found out his name in class, Facebook stalked him, then got his phone number all through Facebook… I wouldn’t even talk to him when I saw him in person, I would just text him haha) :) Been together 3+ years now and going strong

Not that we need more “onlines success” stories but despite going to the same school, my beau and I “met” online. We were e-friends for months before deciding to get together in person, and that was 8 years ago…

Can I join in? We were introduced by a friend that I met in an LJ community in about 2004-2005. He and said friend were housemates and when he then moved over here and started working right on the other side of the road from me, aforementioned friend thought we ought to meet up. So we did and now we’re in the initial stages of wedding planning.